Homeowner seeks approval for 408-square-foot addition in Community Design District

Homeowner Elliot Zander presented a pre-hearing conference to the Monona Plan Commission seeking feedback on a proposed addition to his single-family home in the Community Design District.

Zander told the commission he is seeking an addition to enlarge his kitchen, dining area and an office. He thanked staff for their assistance during the application process and said he had obtained a survey for the formal submittal after the initial survey did not appear in meeting materials. The transcript contains two differing street references in the public record; staff and the applicant repeatedly discussed the property in the record as being on Gordon Avenue, and staff requested a final survey to clarify exact setbacks.

Staff member Doug said the proposed addition measures about 34 by 12 feet (roughly 408 square feet) to the east side of the house and described zoning context: the parcel was rezoned from single-family to the Community Design District in 1984, the 2016 comprehensive plan lists current land use as single-family while future land use maps the site as commercial, and adjacent properties are single-family. Doug said department heads had no objections in their review and that reference to single-family standards had been used in the staff report for guidance.

Commissioners and the applicant discussed fence alignment and an irregular lot line; commissioners agreed that a precise survey would be required to verify setbacks. The commission noted it does not grant variances and that any deviation from single-family standards would be documented and handled through the appropriate variance process if necessary.

Staff said it will schedule the item for formal consideration after receiving the corrected survey and materials. No vote or formal decision was taken at the pre-hearing conference.